Dr. Hela Chikh-Rouhou has been a Researcher at the Regional Research Centre on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture (CRRHAB) since 2014. She was also involved in teaching courses in 9plant breeding and field experimental designs, for five years, at the High Agronomic Institute of Chott-Mariem, Tunisia. 

She holds a PhD in Genetics and Plant Breeding from the University of Zaragoza, Spain, and an Agricultural Engineer Diploma in Biotechnology and Seed Production from the National Agronomic Institute of Tunisia (INAT).

She is working on the valorization and preservation of Cucurbits local genetic resources (melon, watermelon, pumpkins and bottle gourde) and their exploitation for sustainable agriculture. She is currently responsible of a melon breeding program for the improvement of resistance to biotic stress specially aphid and fungus diseases (Fusarium wilt and Powdery mildew) using conventional methods and molecular markers assisted selection. 

Dr. Chikh-Rouhou is a member of the ECPGR Cucurbits Working Group, an associate editor of Cucurbit Genetics Cooperative-Report, and is involved in several national and international projects dealing with the exploration of genetic diversity in vegetable species. She has contributed to several relevant scientific publications and supervised several students for their master's degrees. 

In 2022, Dr. Chikh-Rouhou was a fellow of the African Plant Breeding Academy (AfPBA class V, organized by UC-Davis and African Orphan Crops Consortium).

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